In February, an attack on Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, had significant repercussions on health care payments nationwide as insurance claims were left unpaid. The technology provided by Change Healthcare for submitting and processing insurance claims was disrupted, leading to delays in payments and impacting the cash flow of over 80 percent of hospitals. In response to this, the administration took action to ensure that hospitals received payment, particularly with regards to Medicare payments. This included approving accelerated and advance payments to health systems to help mitigate any delays in payments.
As Congress delves into investigating the attack, the House Energy & Commerce Health subcommittee will be holding a hearing on health sector cybersecurity, with a panel of cybersecurity experts scheduled to testify. Additionally, Senator Ron Wyden announced that the Senate Finance Committee would also be conducting a hearing on the Change attack in the near future. Wyden highlighted the vulnerability of the healthcare sector to cyberattacks, pointing out that the involvement of large intermediary companies like Change Healthcare can pose systemic cybersecurity risks. He emphasized the need to address and bolster cybersecurity measures within the health care industry to prevent future attacks.
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty is set to testify at an April 30 hearing related to the Change Healthcare attack. Reports from The Washington Post had previously indicated that Witty would be the sole witness at this hearing. The company has verified that Witty will be testifying at this hearing as well. The investigations and hearings underscore the importance of addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities within
